Inflatable life preserver



Oct. 21, WQLFERT 2,857,078

INFLATABLE LIFE PRESERVER Filed Dec. 14, 1956 INVENTOR. HERBERT womea'rAT TOQHEY$ United States INFLATABLE LIFE PRESERVER Herbert Wolfert,Brooklyn, N. Y. Application December 14, 1956, Serial No. 628,378

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-) This invention relates to life saving devices forswimmers in distress and other persons in the water, and moreparticularly to an inflatable life preserver which automatically becomesinflated after throwing same into the water.

A main object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved lifepreserver of the automatically inflating type, said life preserver beingsimple in construction, being easy to use, and being provided withtiming means so that it will become inflated a predetermined time periodafter it is released, whereby it may be thrown into the water in adeflated condition and will be subsequently' inflated after being thrownto a location which may be reached by the person in distress.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved lifepreserver of the automatically inflated type, said life preserver beinginexpensive to manufacture, being relatively compact in size when in itsdeflated condit'ion, and being reliable in operation.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the following description and claims, and from the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved life preserver accordingto the present invention, shown in its normal deflated condition.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross sectional detail view, taken on the line22 of Figure 1, and showing the timing screw and the detent meansassociated therewith.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view taken on theline 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional detail view taken onthe line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view, with parts in cross section, showing theelements associated with the punch member of the life preserver, saidelements being illustrated in separated positions.

Referring to the drawings, the life preserver is designated generally at11 and comprises an elongated tubular inflatable member 12 of suitableflexible waterproof material, such as flexible plastic material, thetubular member 12 being closed off at one end thereof, as shown at 13,and being connected at the other end thereof to a conduit element 14.The conduit element 14 is threadedly engaged on the neck 15 of a capsule16 which contains compressed gas, such as carbon dioxide, the capsule 16having the normally sealed top closure 17, formed on the neck 15, asshown in Figure 3, said closure 17 being reduced in thickness at itscenter, as shown at 18, to define a central recess 19.

The capsule 16 is made of any suitable material, such as plasticmaterial, and the reduced closure portion 18 is relatively thin, so thatit is readily frangible.

Mounted in the conduit 14 are the respective, spaced disc members 20 and21, and mounted in the space between said disc members 20 and 21 is adisc segment 22 having a straight inner edge 23 formed with a V- groove24.

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Designated at 25 is a punch element which is mounted axially in theconduit 14 and which extends slidably through a central guide collar 26formed in the lower disc member 21, as is clearly shown in Figures 3 and5. The punch element 25 is thus located directly over the relativelyfrangible top wall portion 18 of the capsule 16, and said punch element25 is biased downwardly toward the frangible portion 18 by a coiledspring 27 which is engaged on the top end of the punch element 25 andwhich has its top portion received in a central seat 28 formed in theupper disc 20.

Secured on the upper portion of the punch element 25 is a circularflange 29, the lower end of the coiled spring 27 bearing on said flange.Secured on the lower portion of the punch element 25 beneath the segment22 is another circular flange 30 which is engageable with the top end ofthe guide collar 26 to limit downward movement of the punch element 25after its pointed tip 31 has been pushed through the frangible wallsection 18 by spring 27.

The upper disc 20 is formed with a plurality of apertures 33 spacedthereover. The punch member 25 is formed with a central bore 35 whichconnects the inte'rior of capsule 16 to the interior of conduit 14 afterthe tip 31 of the punch member has pierced through the frangible topwall portion 18 of the capsule.

The upper portion of the conduit 14 may be sealingly secured to thetubular inflatable member 12 in any suitable manner. For example, theupper portion of the rigid conduit 14 may be formed with an annularsealing channel 36 and the tubular member 12 may be secured in saidsealing channel by an elastic retaining ring 37, providing a gas-tightconnection between the inflatable member 12 and conduit 14, as isclearly shown in Figure 3.

Journaled in the rigid conduit 14 parallel 'to the grooved edge 23 ofthe segment 22 is a threaded shank 39 having the outwardly projecting,generally T-shaped handle 40. The inner end portion of the shank39 isreduced in diameter, as shown at 41, and mounted thereon is a coiledtorsion spring 42 havingoneend thereof anchored to the conduit wall andhaving the other end thereof secured to the shank 39, whereby the spring42 may be employed to rotate the shank after being wound up to asuitable tension. The conduit 14 is formed adjacent the T-shaped handlewith a recess 44 and removably mounted in said recess is a retaining pin45 which is engageable with a portion of the handle 40 to restrain theshank 39 against rotation after the shank has been rotated to developbiasing tension in the torsion spring 42. The pin 45 is connected to theadja cent portion of the wall of conduit 14'by' a. flexible cableelement 47, so that the pin will not be lost after it has been removedfrom recess 44.

The punch element 25 is formed 'at its intermediate portion with anannular groove 48, and engaged in the groove is the arcuately notchedportion 49 of a detent arm 50, the detent arm 50 being pivotallyconnected at one end thereof to a lug 51 formed on the lower interiorwall portion of conduit 14, as shown in Figure 3. The end of arm 50 ispivotally connected to lug 51 by a pivot screw 53, and mounted on thescrew 53 is a coiled biasing spring 54 which engages arm 50 at one end55 thereof and which engages the conduit wall at the other end 56thereof, acting to bias the arm 50 toward the punch element 25 andacting therefore to maintain the arcuately curved notch portion 49 ofthe arm in the groove 48 of the punch element.

As shown in Figure 2, the arm 50 converges with respect to the threadedshank 39 and has its end portion 60 located relatively close to theshank. Mounted on the shank is a release nut 61 which is movableresponsive 3 to-rotation of the shank and which is provided with a lugelement 62 slidably engaged in the groove 24 of the segment 22, thusholding the nut 61 against rotation.

Therefore, when the shank 39 rotates, the nut 61 will travel alongtheshank'without rotating. Eventually the nut- 61 .will engage the end 60of arm 50 and will rotate thearm counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure2, to disengage the notch 49 of the arm from the groove 48 of the punchelement 25, releasing the punch element and allowing the spring27 toforce the punch element downwardly and to open the capsule 16-at thefrangible top wallportion 18 thereof. The shank'39 is pre-sct so thatthe torsion spring 42 connected thereto is at a predetermined tensionand the nut 61 is located at a desired position on shank 39, saidposition beingin accordance with the amount of time desired between therelease of shank 39 and the release of the punch element 25. The shank39 is held against rotation by pin 45, which engages handle 40 as aboveexplained, to prevent rotation of the shank.

Prior to use of the life preserver, the tubular member 13 is coiled inthe manner illustrated in Figure l, and a retaining band 65 may beemployed to hold the tubular member 12 in its deflated coiled positionillustrated. In using the device, the band 65 is removed and theretaining pin-45' is withdrawn from its recess 44. This releases theshank. 39 and causes the nut 61 to begin moving toward the end 60 of arm50. Meanwhile, the life preserver in its deflated condition is throwntoward the person in distress. When the nut 61 engages the end 60 of arm50, the arm 50 is rotated away from the punch elemerit 25, releasing thepunch element and allowing the spring 27 to force the punch eementthrough thefrangible wall portion 18 of capsule 16. The compressed gasin the capsule then escapes through the bore 35 and through theapertures 33 into the inflatable tubular member 12 and inflates saidtubular member so that it may be employed to support the person indistress.

The device may be reused by resetting the punch element. and by engagingthe threaded lower portion of conduit 14 on the threaded neck of a newcapsule 16.

While a specific embodiment of an improved automatic life preserver hasbeen disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood thatvarious modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur tothose skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitationsbe placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of theappended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a. life preserver of the type comprising an elongated tubularinflatable member, inflating means comprisingacapsule containingcompressed gas and having a. frangible end wall, a conduit elementconnected to said capsule at said frangible end wall, a punch elementslidablymounted in said conduit element adjacent the frangible end wall,spring means urging said punch element towardssaid' end wall and actingon said punch element with sufiicient force topierce the end wall whenthe punch element is released, a detent element movably mounted in saidconduit element and interengaging with said punch element to restrainsaid punch element from movement towards said frangible end wall, arelease element movably mounted in said conduit element and being formedand arranged to at times engage said detent element and to disengagesaid detent element from said punch element, and driving meansoperatively connected to said release element.

2. In a life preserver of the type comprising an elongated tubularinflatable member, inflating means comprising a capsule containingcompressed gas and having a frangible end wall, a conduit elementconnected to said capsule at said. frangible end wall, a punch elementslidably mounted in said conduit element adjacent the frangible endwall, spring means urging said punch element towards said end wall andacting on said punch element with sufficient force to pierce the endwall when the punch element is released, a detent element pivotallymounted in said conduit element and interengaging with said punchelement to restrain said punch element from movement towards saidfrangible end wall, a release element movably mounted in said conduitelement and being formed and arranged to at times engage said detentelement and to rotate said detent element away from said punch element,and driving means operatively connected to said release element.

3. In a life preserver of the type comprising an elongated tubularinflatable member, inflating means comprising a capsule containingcompressed gas and having a frangible end wall, a conduit elementconnected to said capsule at said frangible end wall, a punch elementslidably mounted in said capsule element adjacent the frangible endwall, spring means urging said punch element towards said end wall andacting on said punch element with sufficient force to pierce the endWall when the punch element is released, a detent element pivotallymounted in said conduit element and interengaging with said punchelement to restrain said punch element from movement towards saidfrangible end wall, a threaded shaft journaled transversely in saidconduit element, a release nut on said shaft, means restraining said nutagainst rotation, means on the nut engageable with said detent elementto move the detent element away from said punch element responsive totravel of the nut along said shaft, spring means connected to the shaftand acting to rotate said shaft in a direction to cause said not totravel towards said detent element, an external projection on saidshaft, and a removable holding pin engaged with said conduit element andbeing engaged with said projection to normally prevent rotation of saidshaft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS701,329 Graham June 3, 1902 1,117,639 Cooey Nov. 17, 1914 2,041,772Mapes May 19, 1936 2,173,567 Shafer Sept. 19, 1939 2,675,143 Seeman Apr.13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 110,668 Great Britain Nov. 1, 1917 782,331France June 3, 1935 826,932 France Apr. 13, 1938

